Chess Olympiad 2026: India, Germany and Uzbekistan Share Lead After Round Five

Open‑section leaderboard after round 5

After the fifth round of the open section at the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, India, Uzbekistan and Germany each sit on perfect 10/10 match points, having defeated the Netherlands, Hungary and the United States respectively. Germany’s win over the top‑seeded United States came from Frederik Svane’s victory over Hans Niemann on board two, while the other three boards ended in draws. Uzbekistan recorded a clean 4‑0 sweep against Hungary, with Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Nodirbek Yakubboev winning on boards one and two and Javokhir Sindarov and Vokhidov securing the remaining points. India defeated the Netherlands 3‑1, with wins from Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu and Gukesh Dommaraju. The China‑Armenia match ended 2‑2 after all four games were drawn, leaving the pair one match point behind the leading trio.

Yom Kippur accommodation and ceremonial moves

In recognition of Yom Kippur on 20 September 2026, the Israeli teams played their games earlier than the usual schedule. Their opponents – Singapore in the open section and Colombia in the women’s section – agreed to start the matches earlier, and the games were relocated to the Savitsky Hotel (source). The same day featured a team photo shoot with three booths, giving players a chance to capture a souvenir of their time in Samarkand. Four ceremonial moves were performed, including Arkady Dvorkovich opening the Hungary‑Uzbekistan game with 1.b3 and Zhu Chen making the first move for the USA‑Israel encounter.

Indian team’s performance and outlook

Erigaisi recovered from a slow start, while Gukesh, now on 4.5/5, is pushing for a medal on board four. Praggnanandhaa defeated Anish Giri, who entered the round with a perfect 4/4 score, after a sharp struggle that saw Giri generate attacking chances by sacrificing a bishop on h3. Gukesh secured India’s second victory by defeating Erwin l'Ami on board four, exploiting a middlegame mistake that lost the Dutch side the exchange. With two solid draws in the middle, India’s 3‑1 win over the Netherlands secured its place alongside Germany and Uzbekistan at the top of the table.